Application Information

This meeting is currently oversubscribed (full). You may still submit an application. However, it will only be considered by the conference chair if more seats become available due to cancellations.

Conference Description

The Metals in Biology Gordon Research Conference (MIB GRC) addresses long-standing, central challenges and emerging trends in the field of bioinorganic chemistry. The 2019 MIB GRC will focus on novel, complex transformations in natural product biosynthesis, complex metallocofactor assembly and function, metal trafficking relevant to infectious disease, deployment of metalloenzymes for energy and commercial applications, and elucidation of modern metallobiogeochemistry and how it evolved. A primary goal of the 2019 meeting will be to increase participation by scientists from underrepresented groups and ensure equitable gender representation among speakers and discussion leaders.

Metalloenzymes catalyze the most challenging and consequential chemical reactions on earth, including ATP-driven dinitrogen reduction and photochemical water oxidation. The complex clusters of redox-active transition metal ions and exogenous (in)organic ligands that support these reactions must be assembled/inserted into proteins by elegant biosynthetic machinery. Delineating the pathways for construction and the mechanisms of function of these elaborate multi-electron redox catalysts is a central challenge to the field of bioinorganic chemistry; analysis of how they arose on earth is fundamental to our understanding of our origins.

In addition to these central players in earth's element and energy economy, organisms have evolved an astounding array of metalloenzymes, powered by simple and complex metal cofactors, that promote reactions meeting specialized needs of diverse organisms in varied ecological niches. Some of these enzymes support basic metabolism and regulation, while others assemble Nature's astounding inventory of complex secondary metabolites, installing unusual functional groups that confer potent bioactivities. The direct deployment, engineering, and mimicry of these enzymes for research and commercial applications, another primary goal of bioinorganic chemists, holds great promise for society.

Most metalloproteins function only with a specific metal ion or cluster. This stringent metal specificity is one reason why cells must maintain concentrations within a relatively narrow range: too little of a trace metal can deprive essential metalloenzymes of their cofactors; too much can cause mismetallation of other biomolecules, blocking their functions. Cells and organisms balance uptake and efflux of each trace metal and control its distribution. Homeostasis is often antagonized by host or competing organisms that actively sequester (or, less commonly, induce overload of) essential metals. Mapping this complex metal-trafficking network, and exploiting it for disease therapy, are important goals of the field.

As sophisticated as Nature's catalysts are, they deploy only a small fraction of the periodic table. Abiological metals have surprising and useful bioactivities that have been leveraged for treatment of cancer, arthritis, and infectious diseases. In other cases, such metals are the basis for imaging diagnostics. When incorporated into proteins, these metals can enable reactions not represented among natural enzymes. Bioinorganic chemists continue to extract general principals underlying catalysis by metalloenzymes and marry them with the known chemistry of abiological metals to develop novel catalysts. Biomimetic and bioinspired chemistry is a vibrant focus of the field and provides underpinnings for innovation of new processes and deeper insight into Nature's elegant inorganic chemistry.

Related Meeting

This GRC will be held in conjunction with the "Bioinorganic Chemistry (GRS)" Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). Those interested in attending both meetings must submit an application for the GRS in addition to an application for the GRC. Refer to the associated GRS program page for more information.

"The Use of Radioactive Metal Ions for Diagnosis and Targeted Therapy of Cancer"

9:30 am - 9:40 am

Discussion

9:40 am - 10:10 am

Eric Skaar (Vanderbilt University Medical Center, USA)

"The Intersection of Nutrition and Infection at the Host-Pathogen Interface"

10:10 am - 10:20 am

Discussion

10:20 am - 10:35 am

Late-Breaking Topic

10:35 am - 10:40 am

Discussion

10:40 am - 11:10 am

Coffee Break

11:10 am - 11:30 am

Bo Li (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA)

"Metals and Mechanism of Dithiolopyrrolones"

11:30 am - 11:40 am

Discussion

11:40 am - 12:00 pm

Martin Hogbom (Stockholm University, Sweden)

"Doing Without Metals: Metal-Free Class Ie Ribonucleotide Reductase"

12:00 pm - 12:10 pm

Discussion

12:10 pm - 12:25 pm

Late-Breaking Topic

12:25 pm - 12:30 pm

Discussion

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Lunch

1:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Free Time

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Power HourThe GRC Power Hour is an optional informal gathering open to all meeting participants. It is designed to help address the challenges women face in science and support the professional growth of women in our communities by providing an open forum for discussion and mentoring.

Contributors

Sessler Family Charitable Trust

The Saltman Lecturer Fund

The Stiefel Young Investigator Fund

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Science Financial Assistance Program under Award Number DE-SC0019145. The report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by the U.S. Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

Poster Information

Diversity Funding

Financial assistance is available for qualified applicants through the GRC Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority Fellowship Program. This program provides a grant to underrepresented minority graduate students, postdocs, faculty and scientists to help fund their attendance at their first GRC meeting. Learn more.